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# 179 <7.24> The Key to Angela The episode title is an allusion to KEN FOLLETT's 1980 novel "The Key to Rebecca". Early script drafts staged Melissa's inner reality sequence (episode opener) at The Max instead of her wine cellar in the Agretti Residence. Early script drafts contained an act 1 scene shortly before Maggie's meeting with Dr. Everdene in the Channing Ranch bedroom, in which Richard apologizes to Maggie for Vickie's stay in the Swiss prison. Despite being unforgiving, she says: "At least I know I'll never take another drink as long as I live." — This scene was omitted in rewrites.   Mistake: In the conversation with Dr. Beth Everdene on the Channing Ranch grounds (early script drafts: in Tuscany Valley vineyards), the position of Maggie's hands is different in subsequent frames.Again, this is the typical mistake caused by the particular close-up filming technique — check # 001 (Chase and Maggie at the Gioberti Family Cemetery) for details. The filming location is not Saddlerock Ranch, however, but it is an extreme close-up shot at the heavily filmed park on the backlot of CBS-MTM STUDIOS (now RADFORD STUDIO CENTER; compare # 135).   Maggie and Richard's ranch set — inconsistency: The French doors leading from the master bedroom to the balcony are in white frames and consist of two casements divided in several panes. The real windows and French doors at Saddlerock Ranch, however, are in brown frames and have no panes at all.
 Lance hands Remick's note from North Africa to Peter Ryder. Inconsistency: He already gave the note to Maggie, and Richard found it in # 177. Richard certainly would not have given it back. The paper Lance hands to Ryder was actually meant to be a photocopy, as it would have transpired from a scene in an early script draft of # 177 (Lance shows that copy to Angela), which was omitted in rewrites though (see above).From the fact that the U.S. Capitol is visible in a 45 ° angle through the window, it can be concluded that Senator Ryder's office must be located in the northwestern area of the James Madison Memorial Building of the Library of Congress at the corner of 1st Street Southeast and Independence Avenue Southeast in Washington, D.C.   The interior set used as the Washington, D.C. office of Lillian Nash Darlington's husband in # 163, is reused as Senator Ryder's office beginning this episode — with only minor changes in the arrangement of the wall elements and the decoration.
According to early script drafts, Senator Ryder is a Democrat elected in Ohio. This information was dropped in rewrites.
  The filming location for the road Dan drives along (Carly's appearance), is Mulholland Highway in Malibu, CA, approximately one mile east of Saddlerock Ranch. The bend seen in the beginning of the scene (filmed in southern direction) is between Upper Brewster Motorway and Lower Brewster Road.Mistake: In the wide angle shots of the truck, Carly cannot be seen in the passenger's seat although she should be visible, particularly due to her striking red pullover. The close-ups from inside the truck cab do not match the exterior shots because the berm should be seen through the window on the driver's side. The interiors were not shot in the exact same spot on that road. Carly mentions the 1971 movie "The French Connection". The whole nitroglycerine storyline is an allusion to the 1952 movie "The Wages of Fear" and its 1977 remake "Sorcerer".
 License plate number of Len Potts' beige 1984 Jeep Cherokee Chief XJ with exterior wood trim: 1SMW036 (old blue California plate with yellow lettering).The writers suggested a new Porsche as a picture car with a personalized license plate reading NAPA LAW in early script drafts. They also planned for it to be moved away by Algeo, one of Melissa's laborers, because it was blocking the way for the work to be done on the Agretti land. This scene was changed, particularly because the inside joke about the license plate and (former) filming location, Napa, in connection with the allusion to the "LA Law" TV series seemed to be too cheesy.   Mistake: During the meeting of Len Potts and Melissa in the Agretti Vineyards, Len's hands are on the head of Melissa's horse first, but nowhere close to it in the subsequent frame filmed from across.Again, this is the typical mistake caused by the particular close-up filming technique — check # 001 (Chase and Maggie at the Gioberti Family Cemetery) for details.  The small park area near office building 5 on the backlot of CBS-MTM (now RADFORD STUDIO CENTER) — known from # 135 (compare there) and other episodes — is used again as a Tuscany park (Emma, Maggie and the boys meet Angela).LORIMAR's original blueprints of this set and many others are available for DFCF members in the Show – Production Office – Filming Locations – Movie Studios – Exterior Sets section. The heavily used red Volvo 242 DL sedan (compare # 055 for details) is used again; this time, it is parked near the park (yellow arrow on the above screen capture).
Early script drafts suggested a slightly different ending for act 1: Michael is in the scene until the end; it is staged in the boys' room at the Channing Ranch (instead of on the driveway). When Maggie leaves, Richard clutches his son even more tightly as tears start to overflow the wells of Richard's eyes and spill down his cheeks. This particularly emotional moment was changed in script revisions.  For a short moment, a cat can be seen on the footpath near the main house at Richard and Maggie's ranch in the scene with Richard and Rosemont (see yellow mark). Coincidence or inside joke? At least, Rosemont was supposed to be some sort of personified devil according to the producers' program practices...This scene was originally staged in Richard's New Globe office in early script drafts.
The pipe in his mouth is the wrong way round in his first scene in this episode. Season time frame: This episode opens Friday, 05/20/1988; the reading of Chase's third codicil to his will takes place on night 2, i.e. Saturday, 05/21/1988. Compare # 171 and 178 for details on how to find out these dates.
In early script drafts, the act 3 opener was a scene at the Falcon Crest Victorian Mansion entrance with Angela showing Len Potts out after the reading of Chase's third codicil. As a side note, she suggests he better do not take Merrick Road home because of roadwork. He replies that he no longer lives in that direction, but he has a condo now; his wife kept the house (with just about everything else). This was an obvious allusion to Len's marriage having been destroyed by Clarisse Porter. Rewrites, however, omitted this segment. The scene with Melissa and Richard on the Falcon Crest Victorian Mansion veranda (re: the key) was at first staged in the sun room in early script drafts (suitable for Angela to eavesdrop on their conversation from the study); in early rewrites, it was moved to the dining room. After the scene between Angela and Len Potts at the front door was omitted, the rewrites changed the setting. In the early drafts, Richard mentions that there are underground tunnels between Channing Nevada and Hobart. This last part was dropped in order not to give away the connection (re: bank vault, tunnel) Melissa and Lance would only make later in the season. Early script drafts contained an act 3 scene with Lance arriving with Melissa at the Agretti Residence. He wants to protect her the first night just in case someone wants to take the key from her (all according to Angela's plans). This scene was omitted in rewrites.   Uncredited extra SHARRI ZAK appears as the gray-haired Tuscany Valley socialite with the pony tail again; this episode in Melissa's nightmare, dancing at The Max (screen grab 1), and in a later scene actually dancing at that nightclub (screen capture 2).Compare # 202 for biographical details about this rôle and a list of appearances throughout the series. For details about the extra, compare # 009.  Uncredited extra PAUL VAN appears in his usual rôle as the mustached Tuscany Valley doctor again — in Melissa's nightmare as a patron at The Max.Compare # 227 for biographical details about this minor rôle and a list of all his appearances throughout the series. For details about the extra, compare # 014. During Melissa's nightmare, "Roses from the South" (Op. 388), a waltz by JOHANN STRAUSS II (1825 – 1899), is being played at The Max.
Early script drafts suggested an act 4 scene with Angela and Clarisse coming to the Agretti Residence the morning after Lance spent the night there. While Lance realized that he cannot betray Melissa because he still has feelings for her and wants to act more as a guardian for the key, Angela has set another plan in motion: Clarisse distracts Lance by flirting with him on the patio of the Agretti Residence while he has the key. She takes it from him, ostensibly placing it against her forehead to tell him she inherited psychic abilities from her grandmother, creating the illusion a blonde will go out for dinner with him. Lance thinks it is her who wants a date. Unbeknownst to him, Clarisse has some wax in her hand to get an impression from the key, abruptly killing the flirt by saying she was talking about Lance taking Emma to dinner. This whole idea was abolished in rewrites. Earl script drafts contained a scene in act 4, in which Richard is grilling hamburgers on the Channing Ranch terrace. Michael is playing by himself. When Garth joins them, Richard says how lonely he has felt since Maggie moved out. This scene was omitted in rewrites.
The California Museum of Science and Industry employee mentions both Wells Fargo and Union Pacific as companies using strongboxes like the one Melissa's "key to Angela" might unlock. Both companies are still major U.S. banks. In early script drafts, the Watco company was mentioned as a strongbox manufacturer.  The interior set portraying the hallway at the California Museum of Science and Industry is identical with the one used as the hallways in the Justice Department and in the San Francisco Metropolitan Hospital in # 175 and as the airport waiting area in # 176 (compare there) — with only minor redecoration to minimize production costs. The truck parked at Dees 24 Hour Diner, the truck stop Carly and Red's henchmen come out, is a yellow Peterbilt 352.It is one of several identical studio trucks carrying production equipment to the set. These trucks were seen before in # 102, 113, 125, 155 and 156 (compare there) and have also been in regular use for Cresant Trucking / Fixx Trucking since # 176 (compare there).  The location portraying Dees 24 Hour Diner was also featured in # 082, 084, 113, 133, 166 and 174 for other purposes (compare these episodes for details, # 166 in particular). It is the eastern side of the Duchess Ranch on the backlot of CBS-MTM STUDIOS (now RADFORD STUDIO CENTER).Click here for a sketch of the multi-purpose use of this exterior set and its surroundings. LORIMAR's original map of this part of the studio lot is available for DFCF members in the Show – Production Office – Filming Locations – Movie Studios – Exterior Sets section. It is no longer there nowadays because most of the backlot buildings were demolished by the late 1990's to build more sound stages and office bungalows. The car Carly "borrows" is a blue 1987 Ford Mustang III Convertible. In early script drafts, Red's henchmen mention that the fictional town of Ferguson is along Dan's truck route. This was dropped in rewrites.
Early script drafts contained an act 4 scene in Dr. Everdene's office: The reasons for Maggie's alcohol addiction transpire. She too badly wanted her marriage work — out of fear she might make the same mistakes as with Chase. They were getting a divorce, he denied her the winery, left the key to Melissa; something was obviously wrong. Richard, in contrast, still loves her although, in the past few months, no one was more imperfect than her. She is afraid of having to be perfect. This segment was dropped in rewrites.  The Del Oro parking lot (night scene after Lance comes out of The Max) is portrayed by the car park in front of office building 5 at CBS-MTM (RADFORD STUDIO CENTER). Compare # 091, 094, 160, 174, 176 and 177.LORIMAR's original blueprints of this set and many others are available for DFCF members in the Show – Production Office – Filming Locations – Movie Studios – Exterior Sets section. Early script drafts only called for a telephone scene between Ryder and Lance instead, in which Ryder mentioned that Rosemont's nickname is Jaws, an obvious allusion to the 1975 movie "Jaws" and its sequels. This was omitted.  The night establishing shot for the scene when Frank undergoes surgery, features the Queen of the Valley Hospital although he has been treated in San Francisco Metropolitan Hospital since # 175.He must have been taken to the QVH in the meantime. Apparently, both hospitals work closely together or are operated by the same holding company because Dr. Huston, Frank's doctor, also works in both hospitals (also compare # 159). This nightly establishing clip of the QVH seems odd also because the scene starts at 6:26 PM according to the clock in the waiting room. Giving respect to the time frame (see above), it cannot be dark outside. The editors were negligent in the selection of this clip in post-production. 
The New Globe parking lot is portrayed by the parking spaces in front of the east side of the CBS-MTM (RADFORD STUDIO CENTER) administration building. It is the same studio facility that is used for multiple purposes (compare especially # 074).LORIMAR's original map of this part of the studio lot is available for DFCF members in the Show – Production Office – Filming Locations – Movie Studios – Exterior Sets section. Rosemont's rental limousine is a black stretched 1982 Cadillac Sedan DeVille.
The original episode cliffhanger in early script drafts was a phone conversation between Maggie and Richard. Richard is in the master bedroom at the ranch, Michael sleeping on his lap. Richard asks Maggie to come home. She tells him to say to Michael that she loves him. When she hangs up, Richard says to his son: "Hear that? She loves you. But does she still love me?" — This was completely changed in rewrites. ← Previous episode... → Next episode... |
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